OUR NEWS LETTER

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 207, 21 July 1893, Page 3

OUR NEWS LETTER

At the banco sittings of the Supreme Court yesterday, Mr Justice Denniston gave judgment in the Sydenham Licensing cases, _ granting an order for the certiorari asked for in each case. The result of the j udgment is that pending any other proceedings the licenses are illegally granted. Arrivals in the colony in June numbered 1,316 and departures 1,237- The largest number (490) came to Auckland. Only 112 left that port. The most arrivals were from New South Wales ; 629 came thence and 644 departed thither. A blackfish of the whale species was captured at the North Shore on Monday amid considerable excitement. The animal got so close in shore that Mr Malcolm managed to fasten a line round his tail, and with the assistance of several others it was hauled ashore. The fish was about 17 feet in length and about 12 feet in circumference. Mr Malcolm at once skinned him and secured the blubber, which he will boil down in order to extract the whale oil. The oil of the blackfish is expected to be worth some £lO One of the monkeys in Fillis’s Circus died at Wellington of the measles. The Auckland Liberal Association is undecided as to which side it should take in the Rees and Cadman duel for the vacant Auckland seat. Chinese warships captured a fleet of pirate vessels, the former losing 60 men in the engagement. TWELVE LEATHER MEDALS, It appears that the Commissioners refuse t# supply gold medals to the twelve recently elected Councillors, and have instead given them leather tokens. This is alleged to have been done from motives of economy, but some people attribute it to political bias, and it is possible the Government will be requested to obtain an explanation from the Cominissianora on the subject.

THE VICTORIA CASUALTY. At the court-martial, Captain Bourke admitted that the accounts published giving particulars of the collision between the Victoria and Camperdown were correct, and, under pressure, admitted that he reminded Admiral Tyron that the Victoria’s turning circle was eight hundred yards, but the Admiral adhered to the order to perform the manceuvre when the vessele were six cable lengths apart. Captain Bourke stated that the diameter of the Victoria’s turning circle was just under 600 yards with extreme helm, but required 800 yards with ordinary helm. Captain Bourke, yielding to the pressure of Rear-Admiral Seymour, admitted that he twice advised Admiral Tyron, but without success, to increase the distance between'the two lines of ships ; also that afterwards, when the turning signal was hauled down, and the Victoria had swung two points with extreme helm, he repeatedly told the Admiral that they were too close, and begged him to do something. Thrice he asked the leave of the 'Admiral to reverse the port screw, and before the consent was given the Victoria had turned eight points. Captain Bourke added that without further orders he reversed both screws, but the collision took place before the speed of the warship was materially checked. Only four minutes, he states, intervened between the hanling down of the turning signal and the collision, and when the collision was impending Admiral Tyron hailed the Camperdown to go astern. Admiral Tyron’s flag lieutenant, Lord Guil ford, stated that after the collision occurred the Admiral exclaimed, ‘ It is all my fault.” Fourteen thousand two hundred and ninety eight registered letters wore sent out of New Zealand addressed to Tattersall’s Consultation Agency in Sydney during the year ending March 1892. The sum of money expended on gambling which these letters represent must undoubtedly be large. In the libel action A. C. "Ward v "W. H. Smith the jury returned a verdict for plaintiff with £25 damages, and Mr Bush R.M. allowed costß on the lowest scale. The plaintiff claimed £250,

Mr Grant draws £2 15s for each Education Board meeting he attends. His family live at Newmarket and he has a farm at Mangawai. The return fare from Mangawai to Auckland is 12/6